Pacifier and shield therefor



Nov. 18, 1958 F. M. HOOVER 2,860,639

PACIFIER AND SHIELD THEREFOR Filed April 29, 1957 INVENTOR. FRANK M. HOOVER lilnited States Patent Ufiicc 2,860,639 Patented Nov. 18, 1958 2,860,639 PACIFKER AND SHEELD THEREFOR Frank M. Hoover, Youngstown, Ohio, assignor to Hoover grnoducts, lne, Youngstown, Ohio, a corporation of to Application April 29, 1957, Serial No. 655,870 2 tllaims. (Cl. 128--359) This invention relates to a pacifier and more particularly to a pacifier of novel formation.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a pacifier wherein the several parts are arranged to prevent accidental disassembly.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a pacifier having a shield disposed over the flexible rubber portion of the pacifier and attached to an adjacent portion thereof so as to protect the pacifier during the time of sale and incidental handling.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a pacifier and shield therefor which may be inexpensively formed of a few parts and provides an attractive, safe and sanitary package.

The pacifier disclosed herein comprises an assembly of inexpensive parts so arranged that assembly is rapid and the assembled device can not be readily disassembled.

The pacifier includes a flanged conical shield which protects the rubber portion of the pacifier which is eventually placed in a babys mouth. The shield is arranged to coact with a disc forming part of the pacifier holding the rubber portion of the pacifier in assembly so that the rubber portion is protected at all times.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the pacifier with the shield attached.

Figure 2 is an exploded view of the several portions of the pacifier and shield.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the pacifier.

Figure 4 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale taken on line 44 of Figure 3.

By referring to the drawing and Figures 1 and 2 in particular, it will be seen that the pacifier comprises an ornamental head which may alternately take the form The stem 12 is provided with a grooved head portion 15', the groove being indicated by the numeral 16. The

opposite or upper end thereof is formed with two spaced annular flanges 17, one of which is adapted to be posi tioned within the head 10 and the other immediately adjacent the outside thereof so that the stem 12 is rotatably mounted in the head, as best shown in Figure 4 of the drawing.

Still referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing it Will be seen that a rubber, non-perforated nipple 18 is formed with a thickened collar 19 about its uppermost open end. The collar 19 is adapted to be positioned over the head 15 of the stem 12 so as to register thereon above the groove 16. In such position, an apertured disc 20, which may or may not have been previously assembled onto the nipple 18, is moved over the nipple 18 to a point adjacent the collar 19 so that it is in registry with the groove 16. This arrangement is best shown in Figure 4 of the drawings.

It will occur to those skilled in the art that the forceful positioning of the apertured disc 20 over the head 15 of the stem 12 causes a distortion of the material in the nipple 18 which recovers its normal shape and holds the disc 20 in position. At the same time, the collar 19 of the nipple is prevented from pulling out through the apertured disc by the presence of the head 15 of the stem 12 so that the assembly is suitably maintained.

A shield comprising a conical section 21 having a curved annular flange 22 (which flange is slit at circumferentially spaced points therearound as at 23) is then moved over the nipple 18 and into position in engage ment with the periphery of the apertured disc 20.

A plurality of circumferentially spaced bosses 24 on the inside of the curved annular flange 22 engage against the disc 20 and are so formed that when such engagement is made, the flange 22 is sprung slightly outwardly and each of the sections thereof between the slits 23 yields so that a spring-like securing action is obtained whereby the shield 21 is securely aflixed to the disc in protective covering relation to the nipple 18.

The shield 21 protects the nipple 18 during packing and handling as encountered at the time of sale and is eventualy removed before the pacifier is used by a baby. It may obviously be retained and replaced from time to-time in order that the pacifier may be kept in sanitary condition.

It will thus be seen that the pacifier and shield therefor disclosed herein meet the several objects of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A pacifier comprising a body member having a stem rotatably mounted therein and extending outwardly therefrom, said stem having a head portion and a non-perforated nipple engaged over said head portion, an apertured disc engaged over said nipple and head portion for self-retention thereon, said head portion, nipple and apertured disc arranged to distort an annular section of said nipple when said disc is positioned over said nipple and head portion.

2. A pacifier and a shield therefor, the pacifier comprising a body member having a stem rotatably mounted therein and extending outwardly therefrom, said stem having an enlarged head portion and an annular groove thereabout intermediate said head portion and said body member, a nipple engaged on said stem portion and an apertured disc engaged over said nipple and stem portion and engaged in said groove, said shield comprising a conical member having an annular curving flange slit at circumferentially spaced locations thereabout and positioned in registry over the peripheral edge of said apertured disc in removable engagement thereon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,699,785 Allen Jan. 18, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 14,933 Great Britain 1892 7,964 Great Britain 1897 552,888 France May 8, 1923 1,134,389 France Apr. 10, 19,57 

